Veto A-Go-Go, Hard Drive Free-For-All

My assumptions about hard drive chicanery were based on the understanding that I have of financial systems.

Which is to say, I understand that I understand nothing about financial systems. Oh, there's this part of a financial system that involves actual mathematical rules, and I'm not terrible with those bits -- adding, subtracting, etc. -- it's the parts that have to do with all sorts of bizarre regulations and sequences and fiscal years and quarters and AAAAARRRGH. Brain shut down.

So my assumption, since purchases for new hardware are automatically (in my mind) Too Expensive, was that getting a new hard drive was Out Of The Question. This is apparently not the case.

Shopping will ensue over time, and I expect that, in an attempt to remember what I've done and what I want to do, notes will follow here.

First up are some friends who may have barely-used hardware floating around, and then some discount places. If I absolutely have to, I may well end up at Best Buy. (I did purchase the machine from them, which, if my spotty memory serves, may mean they'll install it for free and warranty the work. I'm only guessing here, though.)

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My observation of Best Buy and the like is that a new hard disk costs about $100, and that this has been roughly constant for several years now.

The amount of space you get for that Franklin has grown steadily (though not quite at Moore's famous rate). However, the stores (manufacturers?) seem strangely resistant to holding the size constant and letting the price fall.

A 40GB disk should be under $50, but just isn't on the shelf. Conspiracy? Most of the cost is in the electronics?